Elevate your Finances

“Just as an elevator exists to transport you vertically to a higher floor, your thoughts, words and actions exist to elevate you to higher levels of health, wealth and happiness.” – Gary Ryan Blair

I’ve come to believe that, in every aspect of our lives, there’s a strong connection between our level of success and happiness and our level of energy. It’s not just the quantity of energy that we have to throw at whatever we’re working towards that determines our success however, it’s also the quality of that energy. Emotions such as anger, revenge and greed all have the potential to get us fired up but the energy these emotions produce tends to be volatile and short lived. In contrast, energy that’s derived from more positive emotions such as altruism or self-improvement tends to be longer-lasting and often leads to more positive and long-lasting results

Our energy levels are always fluctuating. Sometimes we’re fired up and ready to attack our goals with gusto and at other times, the idea of curling up on the couch with a glass of wine and some reality TV is much more appealing than doing just one more thing to bring us closer to where we want to be. One of the great things about energy though is that there are so many ways to give it a boost. If you’ve ever been in the car or at work, feeling kind of sleepy and sluggish when suddenly a great song comes on the radio you may have discovered that all at once you were tapping your feet and singing along (or maybe doing a little dancing in your seat)? Your energy levels were exponentially higher than they had been two minutes earlier and the only thing that changed was the music.

When we surround ourselves with sources of positive energy: people, music, inspirational books and videos etc. we can’t help but absorb some of that energy ourselves. I’m learning that settling into a slump is just part of energy’s ebb and flow but how long I stay in that slump is entirely determined by whether or not I choose to give in to the energy crash or fire myself up with something positive instead.

This week my energy boost came from an email challenge to “elevate my life” – the word ELEVATE is “a transitive verb which means to lift up and improve morally, intellectually, physically, relationally, financially or culturally.” Challenges in general appeal to me and because so many of my current goals are financial this particular call to action got me thinking about all the ways I could apply the suggestions to “elevate” my finances and give them an energy boost…

Elevate your Beliefs: Challenge old, outdated assumptions about money, wealth and rich people. Challenge your own limiting beliefs about what you’re capable of and what you deserve to have when it comes to building wealth and financial freedom.

Elevate your Attitude: Revisit your goals and remind yourself how much you’ve achieved and why you set the goals in the first place. Set yourself up for success by focusing on all the people who have achieved what you’re working towards; if they can do it so can you!!

Elevate your Future: Where do you want to be this time next year? In three years? In ten years? At retirement? Don’t be afraid to dream big and then make the time to set some S.M.A.R.T. goals so that you have an action plan that will get you there.

Elevate your Expectations: Your financial goals should be tough enough to require some effort but not so hard that you give up on them. Expect more of yourself, your money and the advisors who help you protect your financial health.

Elevate your Discomfort: There’s no growth in a comfort-zone and no comfort in a growth-zone. When you’re in an energy slump you’re no longer in the growth zone. Challenge yourself to get up and do what you’ve been avoiding. Whether it’s re-working your money management plan, filing your taxes, revising your will or some other task you’ve been putting off, you’ll feel better when it’s done.

Elevate your Focus: I heard once that you can’t cry and look up at the same time. It’s true! Lifting your focus lifts your mood and lifting your mood boosts your energy. It’s easy to get caught up in focusing on the negatives and the reasons why not. Elevate your focus and hone in on all the reasons why you can achieve your goals, you’ll be amazed how energizing it can be!

Elevate your Network: We’re the sum of the people we spend the most time with. Elevate your network by making a point of spending the majority of your time with people who are moving in the same direction you are and who support you in reaching your goals.

Elevate your Conversations: We can learn a lot from discussing things with others. Instead of elevating your understanding of reality TV and celebrity gossip why not find people you can discuss current affairs and finances with? Try switching radio stations or TV stations for an hour a day or check out some new information sources online and then share what you learn with someone.

Elevate your Fun: Life is too short to live small. It’s also too short to waste on worry. Too often we spend energy worrying about things that we have no control over and things that may never happen. Committing to only worrying about problems that actually exist in our own lives at any given moment frees up more time to enjoy life. Adding a “fun factor” to our finances allows us to enjoy the rewards of our hard-work and keeps us energized so we can keep working towards our goals.

This week, why not see how many ways you can find to elevate your finances and give yourself a financial energy boost? You may surprise yourself!

Written by Sarah Milton

Sarah Milton is currently stretching her professional wings in Edmonton, Alberta in a role that allows her to combine her talent for writing and speaking with her training in the financial services industry. She is passionate about inspiring people to get excited about their money and empowering them to take control of their financial future. You can follow Sarah on Twitter @5arahMilton